Beverage bottle container



Jan. 9, 1968 N. M. BAKOS 3,362,561

BEVERAGE BOTTLE CONTAINER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 15, 19 64 INVENTQR. NORMAN M. BAKOS @MQ W ATTORNEYS Jan. 9, 1968 N. M. BAKOS 3,362,561

BEVERAGE BOTTLE CONTAINER Filed Aug. 13, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

NORMAN M. BAKOS ATTORNEYS Jan. 9, 1968 N. M. BAKOS 3,362,561

' BEVERAGE BOTTLE CONTAINER Filed Aug. 13, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 27 29 7 I NVENTOR.

NORMAN M. BAKOS I ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,362,561 BEVERAGE BUTTLE CONTAINER Norman M. Bakes, Buffalo, N.Y., assignor to Plasticase, inc, Buffalo, N.Y., a corporation or New York Filed Aug. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 389,950 a Claims. ((31. 220-21) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A beverage bottle container molded of rigid plastic material includes a unitary case and unitary lids hinged thereto, with the case having side walls and end walls reinforced by partition walls forming bottle receiving cells, such end walls being provided with upwardly internal grooves and inwardly projecting detents, and with the lids having opposed corrugated depending inner side flanges for simultaneous opening and closing, depending outer side flanges engageable with the side walls for lateral load transmission, and depending end flanges receivable within the grooves for longitudinal support and recesses receiving the detents for releasably locking the lids.

This invention relates to beverage bottle containers, and more particularly to a new and improved beverage bottle container molded of rigid plastic material.

The most commonly used beverage bottle containers have been made of paperboard, cardboard or wood, all of which have a short useful life. Attempts to reinforce these containers for increased strength, rigidity and Weatherability mostly have resulted in an increase in weight and in difliculty of handling, Without a corresponding increase in durability. Likewise, while the problem of container rigidity has been somewhat alleviated, the problems of bottle breakage and rattling remain troublesome.

As a consequence, there is a definite need for a rigid, yet light weight beverage bottle container which not only has a long useful life, but also adequately protects against bottle breakage, and it is a primary object of the present invention to fulfill this need.

Another object is to provide such a container which is molded of rigid plastic material for combined maximum rigidity, strength and useful life, and minimum weight, bottle breakage and rattling.

Another object is to provide such a container including a unitary case and unitary lids hinged thereto for completely enclosing the bottles for maximum protection, but which case and lids are also adapted to be used under present loading conditions with existing loading equipment.

Another object is to provide such a container which is easy to carry, easy to open and close, and can be stacked readily one upon the other for convenience in handling, storage and transport.

Another object is to provide such a container including a unitary case having reinforced side walls and end walls for rigidity, as well as unique partition wall structure which cooperates with the container Walls to form bottle receiving cells for facilitating proper positioning of the bottles inserted into the cells, while protecting against bottle breakage and rattling.

Another object is to provide such a container including unitary lids which are adapted to be opened and closed simultaneously to facilitate insertion and removal of the bottles, which are adapted to securely but releasably latch one upon the other when closed, and which are adapted to transmit loads from one lid to the other and to the side walls of the case instead of the hinges connecting the lids to the side walls.

Another object is to provide such a container includice ing a unitary case and unitary lids hinged thereto, which case and lids cooperate to provide mutual support for the lids in opposite directions parallel to the side walls of the case; to permit the lids to engage the tops of uncapped bottles in the case as well as the caps on such bottles for facilitating stacking of the container whether the bottles are empty or full and for avoiding undesirable bottle breakage and rattling, as well as to releasably lock the lids in closed position while facilitating opening of the lids.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a container constituting a preferred embodiment of my invention, showing one lid closed and the other open;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the container illustrated in FIG. 1, but showing both lids closed;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 33 of FIG. 1, with both lids closed;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1 with portions :broken away to show in solid lines one lid partially open and the other closed, and in dotted lines said one lid closed and said other lid partially open;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 1, but with both lids closed and illustrating portions of the lid latching means;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 3 and illustrating one of the lid locking means;

FIG. '7 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevation illustrating both lids when closed to engage capped bottles in the case;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7, but illustrating both lids when closed to engage uncapped bottles in the case;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 99 of FIG. 1 and illustrating in detail line 1010 of FIG. 9 through the wall, cell and Web structure, and

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 1ll11 through the web structure of FIG. 10.

Referring to the drawings, which are merely illustrative and not drawn to precise size, shape or scale, and particularly FIGS. 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment of the inventive container is generally indicated at 12, and includes a unitary case 14 to which are hinged unitary lids 16, 18. Both the case and lids are molded in one piece of suitable rigid plastic material, such as polypropylene or polyethylene, of low, intermediate, or high density. The above mentioned plastic materials are preferred because they provide a container which is rigid and durable, as Well as light in weight, while possessing high impact strength and breakage resistance, together with maximum structural strength. Of course, other suitable moldable plastic materials, with or without reinforcement, such as glass fibers, could be employed, depending upon the particular structural requirements of the container.

While container 12 may be molded in any suitable manner, either one of the well known blow molding or injection molding processes preferably is employed in manufacturing container 12. A typical blow molding process is described in Modern Plastics, July 1959, pages 86-92 and 151, 152, and a typical injection molding process is described in Plastics Engineering Handbook of the Society of the Plastic Industries, Inc, 1954 edition,

'pages 5363.

Referring specifically to FIGS. 1-3, the unitary case 14 is preferably of elongated rectangular shape, both in plan and side elevation, as well as in end elevation. Case 14 includes two upstanding side walls 20 and two end walls 22 which are closed by a bottom wall 24, each of these walls being generally fiat, unless otherwise indicated.

As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 10, side walls 20 include inset central panels 26 for positioning the beverage bottles and offset end panels 28 connected thereto by perpendicular shoulders 27 for supporting the lid hinge structure. At their upper ends, the central panels 26 of side walls 20 are provided with two longitudinally spaced series of semi-cylindricgalrhinge portions 36 and 32 (FIG. 1). Preferably, there e six downwardly open hinge portions 32 separated by and longitudinally spaced from five upwardly and outwardly open hinge portions 32. These hinge portions form part of the hinge structure connecting the lids 16, 18 to the case 14, and the remaining portions of the hinge structure on the lids will be described in detail below.

Continuing with FIGS. 14 and 9, 10, each of the two end walls 22 includes a central inset panel 34 for positioning the beverage bottles and an outer, offset, inverted U-shaped marginal panel 36 connected to central panel 34 by outwardly inclined shoulders 35.

Each central inset panel 34 is also provided with a central hand opening 38 at its upper end, and the outer upper edge portions 40 of each outer offset panel 36 slant downwardly toward the upper edges of side walls 20 to accommodate the correspondingly shaped lids 16, 18 and the hinge portions thereon. At the same time, the inner upper edge portions 42 of the outer end wall panel 36 slant downwardly and inwardly toward the center of each end wall 22 in order to permit the lids 16, 18 to engage the caps C on bottles B, as shown in FIG. 7, as well as to engage the tops of the uncapped bottles B, as shown in FIG. 8, in order to facilitate stacking of container 12, whether the bottles therein are empty or full, and to prevent undesirable bottle breakage and rattling. Inner upper edge portions 42 also terminate in an upwardly open central thumb receiving recess 44 cooperating with the hand opening 38 for transporting the container when lids 16, 18 are open.

As best seen in FIGS. 1-3, 4 and 6, the central hand opening 38 terminates at its upper end in a generally horizontal, thicker central wall portion 46 merging with a central inner end wall panel 48 and forming a central upwardly open groove 50 extending along and within each end wall for receiving the depending end flanges of the lids 16, 18, and thereby providing mutual support for the lids in opposite longitudinal directions parallel to side walls 20. The outer ends of central wall panels 48 are flared outwardly at 52 toward side walls 20 (FIG. 1) to guide the depending end flanges of the lids 16, 18 into the flared open ends of grooves 50.

Central inner wall panels 43 are also reinforced by three upstanding lugs 54, as best seen in FIG. 4, and the outer two lugs 54 are designed to support the depending end flanges of lids 1.6, 18 when the lids are closed on top of the uncapped bottles B, as illustrated in FIG. 8. In addition, the upper edge portions 56 of each central inner end wall panel 48 are recessed below the inner upper edge portions 42 of end walls 22, are inclined downwardly and inwardly toward their center, and terminate at their inner ends in a central, upwardly open thumb receiving recess 58. This recess is also spaced below, but alined with the thumb receiving recess 44 in each end wall 22, to further facilitate manual grasping and transporting of containers 12 when lids 16, 18 are open.

Each end wall 22 is also provided with a portion of the lid locking mechanism, and to this end, detent 60 projects inwardly from the upper end of the inverted U-shaped outer end wall portion 36. However, the detent 6!} on the right end wall 22 (FIG. 1) is offset on the opposite side of the longitudinal center line of case 14 from the corre- 4 sponding detent 60 in the left end wall 22 (FIGS. 3 and 4) for efliciently and effectively locking lids 16, 18 respectively, in the closed position, as will be described in greater detail below.

Referring specifically to FIGS. 13 and 9, the bottom wall 24 of case 14 is provided on its underside with a shallow, preferably circular recess 62 adjacent each corner of the case, and into each of which is spun welded a relatively thin, annular foot 64 for supporting the container and raising its bottom wall 24 off the underlying surface to facilitate stacking of the containers 12. In addition, the bottom wall 24 is provided with preferably sixteen, perimetrically spaced small openings 66 and preferably fifteen larger central openings 68. These openings not only serve to decrease the weight of the container, but also facilitate drainage for washing purposes.

Case 14 is completed by an integral partition wall structure which is best seen in FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 911. This partition wall structure includes preferably three longitudinal partition walls 70 extending parallel to side walls 20, connecting and reinforcing end walls 22, and including bottle receiving cell forming panels 71, together with preferably five lateral partition walls '72 extending parallel to end walls 22, connecting and reinforcing side walls 20, as well as including bottle receiving cell forming panels '73. The outer two longitudinal partition walls are provided with gussets '74 inclined outwardly and upwardly toward the upper ends of end walls 22 and merging with the outer ends of central inner end wall panels 48 to reinforce the same. Likewise, the two lateral partition walls '72 on each side of the central lateral partition wall are provided at each end with similar, but smaller gussets 76 inclined outwardly and upwardly toward the upper ends of side walls 20, to reinforce the same, as shown in top plan in FIG. 1 and in phantom side elevation by broken lines in FIG. 3.

The partition wall panels '71 and 73, which are obviously substantially shorter than side walls 20 and end walls 22, form preferably eight central bottle receiving cells C of generally rectangular and preferably square shape in plan. These partition wall panels 71, '73, together with the corresponding central inset panels 26 of side walls 20 or central inset end wall panels 34, form preferably twelve perimetral bottle receiving cells C of generally rectangular shape in plan. Likewise, these partition wall panels 71, 73, together with central inset side wall panels 26 and central inset end wall panels 34, form four corner bottle receiving cells C of generally rectangular shape in plan. Thus, a total of twenty-four bottle receiving cells are formed in case 14 to contain a case of beverage bottles or the like.

An important feature of the partition wall structure is the web structure interconnecting the partition wall panels 71, 73. As will be evident from FIG. 1, these partition wall panels converge toward common centers to form adjacent corners of the various cells C C and C As also seen in FIGS. 9-11, the upper ends of these partition wall panels 71, 73 are interconnected at each adjacent corner of the various cells by flexible and arcuate, preferably circular, tubular webs 78 which are flush with the upper ends of panels 71, 73. Each of webs 78 includes, in each adjacent corner of a cell, an upper, frusto-conical bottle guiding segment 80 having a downwardly increasing radius and partially closed at the top by an annular portion 81., each frusto-conical segment 80 merging with a lower, enlarged, cylindrical segment 82 having a salient and elongated, arcuate bottle engaging rib 83 along its lower end which is spaced well above the lower ends of panels 71, 73.

As will be evident from FIGS. 10 and 11 the wall thickness of each web '78 is about one half that of the partition wall panels 71, 73 for making such webs quite flexible to facilitate the proper positioning of bottles inserted into the upper ends of the various cells. As may be visualized from FIGS. 1 and 10 the inserted bottle B is guided into contact with each rib 83 on each of four cylindrical segments 82 in each of the four corners of a central, bottle receiving cell C When inserting a bottle B into any one of the perimet-ral cells C the bottle would be similarly guided by two webs 78 for positioning the bottle in contact with each of two ribs 83 thereon and in contact with either the inner surface of the central inset side wall panel 26 or the central inset end wall panel 34 (FIG. making a firm three point contact for maintaining the bottle in position. In addition, when inserting a bottle into a corner cell C (FIGS. 1 and 10), a single web 78 would serve to guide the bottle B into engagement with a single rib 83 thereon and each of a central inset end wall panel 34 along its juncture with shoulder 35 and a central inset side wall panel 26 for three point contact.

Thus, regardless of which cell a bottle is inserted into, it is firmly positioned and maintained in position by at least three contact points, at least one of which, namely a bottle engaging rib 83, is arranged on a cylindrical segment 82 of a web 78 which is sufficiently flexible to facilitate positioning of the bottle in the cell, as well as to prevent rattling and breakage of the bottle.

The structure of lids 16, 18 will now be described by reference to FIGS. l-8 of the drawings. As best seen in FIGS. 1, 2-4, 7 and 8, each lid 16, 18 includes an enlarged inner flat portion or section 84 and a smaller outwardly and downwardly inclined outer portion or section 86 to conform to the upper edge portions 42 and 40 respectively of end walls 20 for the desired engagement with the capped and uncapped bottles of FIGS. 7 and 8, respectively.

The outer lid portions 86 merge with the portions forming the remainder of the hinge structure connecting the lids to the side walls, and which hinge structure does not protrude any higher than portions 84 of lids 16, 18 to avoid any concentration of load on the hinges when stackin-g containers 12. This hinge structure for each lid includes two enlarged outer or end hinge portions 88 connected by elongated hinge pins 90 which are provided with a longitudinally spaced series of preferably ten intermediate hinge portions 92. As will be evident from FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 the outer hinge portions 88 rest upon upper edges of the outer offset side wall portions 28 and outer offset end wall portions 36 (FIG. 10), while the hinge pins 90 are received in both the downwardly open semicylindriial hinge portions 30 and the upwardly and outwardly open semi-cylindrical hinge portions 32 formed integrally with inset side wall panels 26 along their upper edges. The intermediate lid hinge portions 92 fit between adjacent semi-cylindrical hinge portions 30, 32 and are supported on the upper edges of side wall panels 26,

which upper edges may be provided with outstanding flanges or ribs. (not shown) for increased surface supporting area.

In assembling lids 16, 18 on side walls 20, the inherent resiliency of the rigid plastic material permits su'fficient distortion of the various hinge portions to provide a snap-in connection, while the same time permitting the lids and their integral hinge portions to readily pivot about the common axis of the semi-cylindrical hinge portions 30, 32 on side walls 20. It is to be noted at this point, that the above described hinge structure is that which is preferred for the inventive container embodiment. However, such hinge structure forms no part of the present invention, and any suitable hinged connection could be employed.

Continuing with FIG. 3 of the drawings, each lid portion 16, 18 terminates at its outer side margin in a depending side flange 94, and these flanges are designed to engage the inner surfaces of central inset side wall panels 26 below the hinges when lids 16, 18 are closed. Thus, various lateral loads across the top of container 12 are readily transmitted through the lids to these depending flanges and to the stronger side walls 20, instead of the weaker hinge structure.

Continuing with FIGS. 1 and 3-5, each lid 16, 18 terminates at its inner side margin in a corrugated depending flange 96 having crests 96C and vales 96V coextensive with the depth of the flange, the crests of each flange 96 mating with, but spaced from the vales of the other flange when the lids are closed. Thus, lids 16, 18 may be opened and closed simultaneously, as is evident from FIG. 4.

In each flange 96, the crests 96C and vales 96V are of sinusoidal contour (FIG. 1), and include, as shown in FIG. 5, an upper section '98 and a lower section 100, together with detents 102 on crests 96C and detents 104 on vales 96V, each detent being of elongated and rounded, arcuate shape (FIGS. 1 and 5). When the lids 16, 18 are closed, the upper flange sections 98 are arranged in generally parallel, spaced relationship (although they do slightly converge upwardly when in the position of FIG. 8), while the lower sections 100 flare downwardly and outwardly, as shown in both FIGS. 7 and 8. At the same time, as best seen in FIG. 5, the detents 102 on crests 96C extend along lower sections 100 adjacent their junctures with upper sections 98 and overlie detents 104 on vales 96V, which detents also extend along lower sections 100, but are spaced below their junctures with upper sections 98.

The above described arrangement of detents 102, 104 constitutes a releasable latching mechanism for maintaining lids 16, 18 in a closed position, whether such lids engage capped bottles, as in FIG. 7, or uncapped bottles, as in FIG. 8. Once again, during closing or opening of the lids 16, 18, the inherent resiliency of the lids, hinges and side walls of the container permit a snap type of action, whereby the detents 102 ride over detents 104 to provide the desired latching interengagement.

Each lid 16, 18 includes depending marginal end flanges 106 inset slightly from the end edges of the lids, as shown in FIG. 6, to permit the ends of the lids to rest upon the upper edges of end walls 22, as well as to permit end flanges 106 to be slidingly received in grooves 50 in the end walls. Thus, the lids are mutually supported in opposite longitudinal directions against distortion by the end wall panels 36, 48.

Each lid 16, 18 is complete by the remaining portion of the releasable locking means, in the form of a slot or opening 108 preferably arranged on one end flange of each lid. Referring specifically to FIG. 1, the slot 108 in the right end flange 106 of lid 16 is designed to receive the detent 60 on right end Wall 22, while, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the slot 108 in the left end flange 106 of lid 18 is designed to receive detent 60 in left end Wall 22. Once again, because of the resiliency of the end walls and lids, the depending end flanges permit a snap type engagement between detents 60 and slots 108 for releasably locking lids 16, 18 in either closed position of FIG. 7 or FIG. 8.

To facilitiate opening of lids 16, 18, each is also provided with a finger receiving opening 110, the opening in lid 16 being located adjacent depending inner marginal side flange 96 and slot 108 in the right depending marginal end flange 106, while the opening 110 in lid 18 is similarly located, but adjacent the left slot 108 and left depending end flange 106.

Assuming that the container 12 is empty, and both lids 16 and 18 are open to permit insertion of bottles B, it is but a simple matter to load container 12 with the usual bottle loading machinery (not shown), since the entire upper end of case 14 is readily exposed. Likewise, the frusto-conical upper segments 80 of webs 78 provide additional clearance for the bottle engaging fingers (not shown) on the loading or unloading equipment. Once loaded, say with capped bottles B, the lids 16, 18 may be readily closed, simultaneously, if desired. Whereupon, the lids will rest upon the caps C of bottles B, as shown in FIG. 7, the detents 102 will overlap detents 104, as shown in FIG. 5, to releasably latch the lids together, and the detents 60 will readily snap into slots 108,

7 as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, to releasably lock the lids in the desired closed position.

The full container 12 may then be readily stored or transported in stacked relationship, the projecting feet 64 on bottom walls 24, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9, spacing the bottom of an overlying container from the top of an underlying container to prevent undesirable contact between the lids of the underlying container and the bottom wall of the overlying container, and thereby protect the bottles against breakage and rattling. Any tendency to distort the case 14 or lids 16, 18 by application of longitudinal loads will be eflectively resisted by gussets 74 and the container end walls 22, which together with central inner wall panels 4-8 provide firm, mutual support for the depending end flanges 106 of the lids in opposite directions parallel to side walls 20. Any lateral loads tending to distort the container 12 and concentrate stress on the hinged connections between the lids 16, i8 and side walls 20 will be effectively resisted by gussets 76 or transmitted from one lid to the other through the engageable inner side marginal flanges 96, specifically detents 1G2 and 104, to the outer depending side marginal flanges 94 and hence to the stronger side walls 28, as opposed to the weaker hinges.

The hand opening 38 in each end Wall facilitates manual transporting of the containers 12, and the upper thumb receiving openings 44 and 58 further facilitate manual handling of the containers when the lids are open. Further, opening of the lids 16, 18 is facilitated by the finger receiving openings 110 and their locations with respect to the detents 60 and slots 108.

Likewise, while the bottle engaging ribs 83 on the flexible webs 78 and the inner surfaces of central end wall panels 34 and central side wall panels 26 cooperates to position the bottles B properly in the various cells and prevent undersirable bottle breakage and rattling, removal of the bottles from the container is quite simply accomplished, particularly because of the conical segments 80 and the flexible character of the webs '78. Moreover, because of the inclined inner upper edge portions 42 of end wall panels 35, the lids 16, 18 are equally adapted to engage upcapped bottles B, as shown in FIG. 8, for stacking of the containers both in storage and during transportation, while still providing adequate protection against bottle breakage and rattling.

It will now be seen how the invention has accomplished its various objects, and numerous advantages of the invention also will be apparent. While the invention has been described and illustrated herein by reference to a single preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the inventive concept, the scope of which is to be determined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a beverage bottle container molded of rigid plastic material and including a unitary case having a side wall and end walls, and a unitary lid hinged to said side wall and having depending end flanges received within said end walls when said lids are closed, the combination therewith of means forming upwardly open grooves extending along and within said end walls to receive said end flanges and thereby provide mutual support for said lid in opposite directions parallel to said side wall, said grooves having open ends flaring outwardly toward said side wall to guide said end flanges into said grooves.

2. In a beverage bottle container molded of rigid plastic material and including a unitary case having side walls and end walls, and unitary lids hinged to the upper ends of said side walls and having depending end flanges received within said end walls when said lids are closed, the combination therewith of central inner wall panels forming upwardly open grooves extending along and within the upper ends of said end walls to receive said end flanges and thereby provide mutual support for said lids in opposite directions parallel to said side walls, said grooves having flaring open ends formed by one of each end wall and adjacent central wall panel flaring outwardly toward said side walls to guide said end flanges into said grooves.

3. In a beverage bottle container molded of rigid plastic material and including a unitary case having side walls and end walls, and unitary lids hinged to the upper ends of said side walls and having depending end flanges received within said end walls when said lids are closed, the combination therewith of means forming upwardly open grooves extending along and within said end walls to receive said end flanges and thereby provide mutual support for said lid in opposite directions parallel to said side wall, and releasable lid locking means for each of said lids and including a detent projecting inwardly from each of said end walls, a recess in one end flange of one of said lids to receive one of said detents, and a recess in the opposite end flange of the other of said lids to receive the other of said detents.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein each of said lids is also provided with releasing means including a finger opening in said one lid adjacent said one end flange, and a finger opening in said other lid adjacent said opposite end flange.

5. In a beverage bottle container molded of rigid plastic material and including a unitary case having side walls and end walls, and unitary lids hinged to the upper ends of said side walls and having depending end flanges received within said end walls when said lids are closed, the combination therewith of means forming central hand openings in said end walls and terminating at their upper ends in thicker central wall portions merging with central inner wall panels and forming upwardly open grooves extending along and within the upper ends of said end walls to receive said end flanges and thereby provide mutual support for said lids in opposite directions parallel to said side walls, said grooves having flaring open ends formed by said central wall panels flaring outwardly toward said side walls to guide said end flanges into said grooves.

6. In a beverage bottle container molded of rigid plastic material and including a unitary case having side walls and end walls, and unitary lids hinged to the upper ends of said side walls and having depending end flanges received within said end walls when said lids are closed, the combination therewith of central inner Wall panels forming upwardly open grooves extending along and within the upper ends of said ends walls to receive said end flanges and thereby provide mutual support for said lids in opposite directions parallel to said side walls, and substantially shorter partition walls extending parallel to said side walls and connected to said end walls by gussets inclined toward the upper ends of said end walls and merging with the outer ends of said inner wall panels to reinforce the same.

'7. In a beverage bottle container molded of rigid plastic material and including a unitary case having side walls, and unitary lids hinged to said side walls, the combination therewith of means on said lids forming opposed corrugated depending inner marginal side flanges having crests and vales coextensive with the depth of said side flanges and including upper and lower sections, said crests of each of said flanges mating with said vales of the other of said flanges, said upper sections being generally parallel and said lower sections flaring downwardly when said lids are closed, whereby said lids may be opened and closed simultaneously.

8. Thecomhination of claim 7 wherein said lower sections of said crests and vales of each of said flanges are provided with detents, said detents on the ones of said crests and vales overlying said detents the on others of said crests and vales to releasably latch said lids when closed.

9. The combination of claim 53 wherein said crests and Vales of each of said flanges are of sinusoidal contour and said detents are of elongated and rounded, arcuate shape, said detents on said crests extending along said lower sections adjacent their junctures with said upper sections, and said detents on said Vales extending along said lower sections but spaced below said junctures.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Stevens.

Richards 229-44 X Glascoff 229--44 X Snyder 229-45 10 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

G. E. LOWRANCE, T. E. CONDON,

Assistant Examiners.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,362,561 January 9, 1968 Norman M. Bakos It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 1, line 15, before 'internal" insert open line 21, before "recesses" insert having column 4, line 70, after "11" insert a comma; column 5, line 46, for "cylindriial" read cylindrical column 6, line 42, for "complete" read completed column 7, line 3, for "container" read containers line 34, for "cooperates" read cooperate Signed and sealed this 25th day of February 1969.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

